Narnia

• Narnia = Latin name for Narni (Umbria).
• Lewis had highlighted it in a classical atlas.
• The blessed Lucy of Narni: famous coincidence.

Narni, the ancient Narnia

Narni is a small town perched on a rocky outcrop in Umbria, central Italy, above the Nera gorges. The Romans called it Narnia. It guarded the via Flaminia, the great road from Rome to the north, and one can still see the remains of a bridge built by Augustus.

Lewis's atlas

Lewis had been reading Latin since his adolescence. His biographer Walter Hooper recounted that he owned a small classical atlas, the Murray's Small Classical Atlas. Lewis had highlighted the name of Narnia, perhaps simply because he liked the word. He also mentions it in passing in a letter to his friend Arthur Greeves.

An amazing coincidence

Narni has a patron saint, the blessed Lucy of Narni (Lucia Brocadelli, 1476–1544). A Lucy in Narnia: the coincidence greatly amused readers. There is no evidence that Lewis knew about her.

Narni today

Since the release of the 2005 film, Narni has played up its homonym: guided tours and events link it to Lewis's world. The underground site of Narni Sotterranea, with an ancient church and cells of the Inquisition, is one of its attractions.

See also

• Narnia (the country)
• Lucy Pevensie